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The ITF, in co-ordination with the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), is urging member unions to organise solidarity actions from now until 1 July, ahead of the sentencing on 4 July of Han Sang-gyun, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
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Mr Han has been convicted of eight charges brought by the Korean government and is likely to receive an eight-year sentence – simply for his legitimate participation in KCTU public rallies in 2015.
Following the 80,000-strong rally on 14 November, 538 KCTU leaders and members were arrested. Twenty remain in custody and 13 have been convicted and sentenced to between eight and 18 months in jail. KCTU secretary general Lee Young-joo has been under self-imposed house arrest at the union’s headquarters since December in defiance of an arrest warrant against her.
ITF general secretary Steve Cotton has asked ITF unions - particularly those in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and countries who are members of the G20 international forum, of which Korea is one – to use this model letter to protest to the Korean president.
The ITUC and KCTU have also requested that unions write to the Korean embassies in their countries, and ask their own governments to issue a statement of concern and to send their embassy/consulate representatives in Korea to observe Mr Han’s trial on 4 July. Send copies of your letters and actions to Mikyung Ryu, KCTU atahora76@gmail.com and Monina Wong, ITUC at Monina.wong@ituc-csi.org
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